Walmart – The good, the bad and the neighbors

By Linda Bentley | May 13, 2009

Will new slogan, ‘Save Money Live Better’ sell Walmart to Cave Creek?

CAVE CREEK – What’s good about Walmart? Apparently, a good number of people like to shop there; it carries everything from alphabet soup to guns and ammo, at least in some locations; goods are generally inexpensive and their 24-hour Supercenters also sell groceries.

And, Tom Witt, who now lives across the road from the proposed 125,000 square-foot store on Oleson Road, was able to buy his house at a good price.

What’s bad about Walmart? Well, that depends on who one asks and where they live.

Reduction in contributions impacting non-profits

By Curtis Riggs | May 13, 2009

No donations planned in CC, cut in half in CF
CAREFREE – Preparations for the fiscal year 2009-10 budget are indicating new that is tough to take for area non-profit groups, which are already trying to do more with less because of the increasing need for services in the area.

Cave Creek officials announced early in the 2009-10 budget process the town would not be making contributions to area non-profits this year. Last week non-profit agency leaders learned Carefree will be cutting the contributions in half.

Carefree gave out $96,478 to 10 area non-profits last year. This year the amount the council is considering allocating to the local groups has been reduced to $42,544.

In the past Carefree has contributed 3 percent of local sales-tax revenue collected in Carefree along with a portion of sales-tax revenue paid back to Carefree from the State of Arizona.

“Now there is no set amount,” Carefree Town Clerk Betsy Wise said. Sales-tax revenue is expected to be down 15 percent this year and state shared revenue decrease projected at 14 percent. Some close to the Carefree and state budgets point out a 19-percent reduction could be more in line.

Foothills Community Foundation Executive Director Bre Ulewicz said, “We are hurting like everyone else is right now. Requests for services increase during an economic downturn just as fund-raising decreases.”

She stresses, however, this could help the foundation in the long run as it will help volunteers learn to be more creative in their fund-raising.

“This will make us learn how to operate in a rough economy,” she said. “It will help us learn how to do things better.”

Chief among the concerns about the contributions this year is an agreement in place for Carefree to pay $16,667 annually to the new Desert Foothills YMCA for the next few years.

Carefree to receive water penalty proposal soon

By Curtis Riggs | May 13, 2009

Realtor wastes 113,000 gallons
CAREFREE – Carefree Water Company General Manager Stan Francom asked the water company board of directors (Carefree Town Council) about instituting a penalty for water theft last week.

Francom made the request after a realtor recently turned on the water meter in a vacant home and used 113,000 gallons of water before the active meter was discovered.

The realtor, who was representing a home foreclosed on by Deutsche Bank, filled the pool and was using water around the home. Francom said the water loss was due to these actions and a leak, which was losing 45 gallons of water an hour.

The $1,100 bill was racked up over a five-month period. Francom said neither the meter being on nor the loss of water would have been detected if the water company was not using a new automatic water meter reading system.

Francom said he was seeking the new penalty not only because of the case where the $1,100 water bill was incurred, but because three other similar cases occurred last month.

“I plan to ask for a penalty for these actions next month,” he said. “We need to establish a fine to get people to stop doing this.”

Francom said the realtor has been contacted about the problem and pledged to pay the bill, which will not go past due until May 25. Francom indicated the realtor likely hopes the bank will take care of the bill. Working out a payment plan for the bill is another option if the bank does not cover it.

Francom’s new penalty would also cover the unauthorized taking of water from fire hydrants. Both Carefree and the Cave Creek Water Company have had problems with both issues in the past. Despite this the Cave Creek Water Company does not have a penalty for the unauthorized taking of water, said Cave Creek Utilities Department Assistant Manager Mike Rigney.

“There is no penalty right now,” he said. “We would have to determine how much water is taken and then assess a fee.”